Fortune's Vengeance
by Aislinn Graves
Summary: D'Agostino's bid to gain control of Judge Orrin Travis was ruined by Chris Larabee, aka Lobo, and the men of The Seventh. Now he is determined to make them pay and he has pulled out all the stops.


**Notes:**

This is a direct sequel to Fortune's Hostage, if you haven't read that one first, you need to.

Shadowrun is twisted and full of intrigue and misdirection, but keep reading, all will become clear in the end.

Also this story is violent and the boys language is colorful.

Since Shadowrun is set in the future I have endeavored to define some of the more obscure slang and specialized businesses and occupations. Hopefully these will enhance your reading pleasure. Would you prefer to have it before or after the the story?

A huge thank you to my writer's group and betas for all the encouragement while I was writing this.

**Fortune's Vengeance**

**By Aislinn**

**The Year is 2058**

**Magic has returned to the earth. The ancient races of Elves, Dwarfs, Orks and Trolls have re-emerged. Technology has also changed, allowing man to augment his body with artificial enhancements called cyberware. These enhancements can make one faster, stronger and smarter than before.**

**Mega-Corporations have become nations unto themselves while former national powers have reformed. The United States became the United Canadian-American States after the loss of much of the West to the Native American Nations and the South to the Confederate American States and Aztlan. **

**Technology and Magic co-exist in this Awakened World where awesome powers are kept in balance by those who run in the shadow world, those known as Shadowrunners.**

**The street samurai with his smartguns and impossibly fast reflexes; the decker who can plug his own brain into the worldwide computer network, slicing through computer security with programs as elegant and deadly as a stiletto; the rigger who links his mind to his vehicle and takes hairpin turns at fantastic speeds, his machines an extension of his very body; Mages and Shamans manipulate mana to bend the Awakened world and the astral plane to their will.**

**These Shadowrunners don't just live in the shadows- they thrive there... for now.**

_sammy_ ~ slang for street samurai - aka. razor

_SIN_ ~ System Identification Number. all citizens are issued a SIN SINless - one who lives off the grid.

_Humanis_ - one of the most powerful of the policlubs. It grew from an alliance of racist and hate groups aimed at "protecting humans against the rising threat of mutation"—mutation being Humanis-speak for metahumanity.

_metahumanity_ - any of the races other than human - orcs, trolls, elves and dwarves being the most common, but also including ghouls, vampires and the like.

_HUA_ ~ Military slang for Heard, Understood, Acknowledged.

_Dandelion Eater_ ~ street slang for elf. highly insulting

_Troglodyte_ ~ Street slang for orcs and trolls. highly insulting. aka. Trog

_UCASFBI_~ United Canadian and American States Federal Bureau of Investigation - The UCAS Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a governmental agency belonging to the UCAS Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency (counterintelligence).

_Nuyen_- the official currency of the state of Japan. Most common accepted and most well back currency in the Awakened World.

_Treaty City_ ~ AKA Denver - April 25, 2018: The United States of America, Canada, Aztlan, and the Native American Nations ratify the Treaty of Denver. Most of western North America is ceded to the NAN. Daniel Howling Coyote becomes head of the Sovereign Tribal Council. Denver is divided into districts under the jurisdiction of the United States, Aztlan, and the NAN member states.

"_**That which does not kill us, may come back for seconds." ~ Cpl. Jake Jensen , UCAS Army- decker**_

From the back of the dimly lit basement room, Special Agent Jase Sackett studied the assembled men with narrowed eyes. It was a fairly motley crew, but other than a couple of orc samurai, and Jase's elven partner, they were all human. The mob in Denver it seemed, leaned more to the Humanis way of looking at metahumans. Of course they were as hypocritical about it as Humanis was, using them as assets whenever the situation called for it. Regardless of 'purity,' each and every one of these men is a stone cold killer. Harold Fagetti, D'Agostino's chief enforcer now that Louis Carletti had been taken out, had spent considerable time and effort to put together this wet work team to eliminate a rival group of Shadowrunners.

The Seventh, led by a street sammy by the name of Lobo, had angered the local Don and now they were the target of a vendetta that wouldn't stop until one or the other was dead. Jase wasn't surprised when he and his partner, Corrine, had been tapped for the team, he because of his stealth and she for... well let's just say when she exerted herself she was pretty damn hard to resist. And speaking of his partner she should have been here already. He tapped his finger against his leg as he glanced around the room, but there was still no sign of her. Fagetti was gonna be pissed if she didn't show.

The crew had assembled in the basement of a restaurant owned by D'Agostino to get their assignments and now Fagetti was standing in the front of the room briefing his new team like this was some kind of business meeting. Jase snorted quietly, in a way he supposed it was.

"Some men cannot be broken. The Seventh are such men. There is only one solution for this," Fagetti said, his voice echoing off the bare walls and dirty plascrete floor.

"What's that?" One of the samurai called out.

The hit man turned cold dark eyes on the speaker. "You kill them, gentlemen. Except Stud. We have something… special planned for him."

Jase squirmed surreptitiously. Even half hidden in the shadows, he didn't want anyone noticing him fidgeting. It was just too dangerous to show any sign of discomfort or vulnerability around these men. He turned his head to watch when the same stupid idiot opened his fragging mouth and spouted off again. Fucker must have a death wish, 'cause Fagetti did not look happy. And when Fagetti was unhappy things tended to die, slowly, painfully, and as sure as next year's taxes.

"How are we supposed to do that? The fragger is always with the rest of his crew and you don't go after the Seventh lightly." The street sammy stared at Fagetti, his chromed cyber-eyes glittering in what little light was emitted by the bare bulbs hanging in the midst of the pipes and wires that hung from the support beams overhead.

"Cut him out of the herd. Take them down one at a time until he is alone. Do I have to do your job for you? Because if that is the case, please do let me know now so I can replace you. There is no room in this operation for idiots, Mr. Frazer."

Frazer bristled at Fagetti's tone, his body language screaming challenge.

"Well? What's it to be Mr. Frazer?" The hit man stepped forward crowding the sammy back against the group of men standing behind him. A cold smile crossed his face, his body loose and ready for a fight if the razor pressed the issue.

Frazer took one look into his menacing eyes and backed down, his hands held out in front of him in a placating gesture. "No," he said sullenly. "I'll do my job. Just asking."

The aura of violence faded as the situation diffused and Jase breathed a soft sigh of relief. Frazer really was an idiot if he thought he could take Fagetti without turning it into a blood bath and getting a whole lot of people killed. The hit man hadn't risen to the top of the food chain by being incompetent at his job.

The crowd of men stirred when a woman came out on the minuscule landing above them and paused for a moment, as if posing, before sauntering down the narrow stairs. She was beautiful, a butterfly in a thorn patch, emerald green eyes sparkled with mischief, long strawberry blonde hair curled enticingly, framing delicate elven features and tumbling in glorious disarray down her shoulders and over her bosom. The gold embroidery of her coat glistened in the dim light, hugging luscious curves, and black leather pants caressed her long legs. Her slender form stood in marked contrast to the beefed up cybered bodies of the men. Jase grinned as his partner's presence shifted the team dynamics. Revenge always could work a room. He gave a slight shake of his head when she glanced his way, letting her know he wanted to remain unnoticed. She threaded her way through the crowd, her hips swaying enticingly, completely cognizant of her effect on the assembled males. Making her way over to the table set up near the front of the room, she sat down on the edge, dangling one shapely leg. She smirked unrepentantly at Fagetti.

Fagetti narrowed his eyes speculatively as he studied her. "Everyone out. Revenge you stay."

Jase shot her a furtive glance over his shoulder as he filed out with the others. '_Tonight._' he dared to subvocalize over their comlink. She blinked once and turned her attention to Fagetti.


End file.
